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Canada, 1985. You knew that if you went to Quebec, you were going to Big Alco Country. So, isn't was too much of a surprise that the first train out of the box would be this magnificant set of 4 CP M636's (4718-4709-4740-4739) roaring through Westminister, PQ on its way to downtown Montreal. Canada Day, July 1, 1985. |
Date:
1985-07-01
Added:
2007-08-06 |
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Minutes after the first close encounter with CP's Big Alco's, things go from amazing to plain weird. Paste wax clean CP C424 4248 has a collection of historical equipment in tow, headed for the main train station in Montreal. In mix of old passenger cars is DRS-4-4-1000 number 8000. Westminister, PQ, Canada Day, July 1, 1985. |
Date:
1985-07-01
Added:
2007-08-06 |
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Close-up of CP C424 4248. |
Date:
1985-07-01
Added:
2007-08-06 |
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A close up view of CP DRS-4-4-1000 number 8000. |
Date:
1985-07-01
Added:
2007-08-06 |
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VIA LRC 6927 comes around a corner at Wellington, PQ as another consist of traditional equipment is pushed into Gare Central in downtown Montreal. |
Date:
1985-07-01
Added:
2007-08-06 |
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A VIA dome-observation brings up the rear of a cut of cars being pushed into Gare Central in Montreal. |
Date:
1985-07-01
Added:
2007-08-06 |
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VIA 6909 rolls over the Wellington, PQ bridge just outside of Gare Central in Montreal. |
Date:
1985-07-01
Added:
2007-08-06 |
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Oh my! A matched A-B-A set of Alco's departs Montreal over the Wellington bridge. FPA4's 6789 and 6779 are spliced by rare FPB4 6867. |
Date:
1985-07-01
Added:
2007-08-06 |
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The biggest Alco in Canada out on the road! CP MLW M640 4744, built at the end of the horsepower wars of the 1970's, spent many years as a mechanical oddity in CP's fleet. When an electrical fire side-lined her in the early 1980's, most observers thought her days were over. However, CP gave her a new lease on life in 1985, working with ABB Brown-Boveri to install one of the first AC drive proplusion systems in a North American railroad application. 4744 is seen here at Rigaud, PQ on July 2, 1985 with CP dyno car 62, getting ready to tow three QNS&L SD40's set in dynamic braking as a simulated draw bar load. |
Date:
1985-07-02
Added:
2007-08-06 |
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CP M640 4744 shows off its blunt and bulging tail end. Shown at Rigaud, PQ with dynamometer car 62, three QNS&L SD40-2's and CP SD40-2 6027. |
Date:
1985-07-02
Added:
2007-08-06 |
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CP dynamometer car 62 testing with CP M640 4744 at Rigaud, PQ. |
Date:
1985-07-02
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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July 2, 1985 finds the old English Electric motors of the Mount Royal Line still running paying customers north out of downtown Montreal, under Mount Royal, and out to the suburbs. EE's 6713 and 6712 still put on a good show after more than 60 years of service. |
Date:
1985-07-02
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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EE's 6724 and 6716 bring another suburban train into Mount Royal station after coming through the Mount Royal tunnel north from downtown Montreal. |
Date:
1985-07-02
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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The other breed of electrics on the Mount Royal Line were these GE centercabs, which are only slightly younger than the EE's. Here centercabs CN 6725 and 6727 have a heavy 9 car train under control at Mount Royal, PQ on July 2, 1985. |
Date:
1985-07-02
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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CN GE Centercab electric 6726 has the duty of bringingVIA RDC 6101 up through the Mount Royal tunnel on July 2, 1985. |
Date:
1985-07-02
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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At 8:15PM on July 2nd, 1985, an eastbound VIA passenger train speeds through Dorval, PQ with VIA LRC 6902 leading. |
Date:
1985-07-02
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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July 3rd, 1985 starts off cloudy, but we find MUCTC FP7 1305 in charge of 4 bi-level cars as it hurries out of Dorval, PQ on its way to the western suburbs for another load of Montreal commuters. |
Date:
1985-07-03
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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VIA 6916 pulls into Dorval, PQ for a station stop on the morning of July 3, 1985. |
Date:
1985-07-03
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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The service pits at St. Luc Shops in Montreal have been invaded from the US by some smoky blue critters. Conrail B23-7's 1946 and 2014, in from a cross-border transfer run, share the sand pit with a mixed bag lashup of 4732-4557-4737-8766-4565. |
Date:
1985-07-03
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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Conrail B23-7's 1946 and 2014 are on the move out of St. Luc Shops for their trip back to the American side of the border with another transfer train. |
Date:
1985-07-03
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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St. Luc Shops has been one of the main storage location for dead and retired locomotives. Here is a rare bird indeed, RS2 8402, along with a VIA FP7. |
Date:
1985-07-03
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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A head on shot of CP RS2 8402 in the dead line at St. Luc Shops. |
Date:
1985-07-03
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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In another dead line at St. Luc Shops sits CP S3 6538 in its faded obsolete paint. |
Date:
1985-07-03
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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CP M636 4714 hostles around St. Luc Diesel Shop. |
Date:
1985-07-03
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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CP M636 4739 shows a great deal of its guts at St. Luc Diesel Shop. |
Date:
1985-07-03
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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CP M630 4562 waits for its next assignment in the rain at St. Luc Diesel Shop. |
Date:
1985-07-03
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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What, more weirdness at Westminister? Yes, D&H GP39-2 7411 brings in another transfer run from the New York side of the border. |
Date:
1985-07-03
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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The afternoon of July 3, 1985 finds 4 rebuilt RS18's on a manifest run westbound through Westminister, PQ. Power is 1800-1805-1809-1815. |
Date:
1985-07-03
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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An afternoon eastbound CP train is sounding great with rebuilt RS18u's 1813, 1802, and 1810 with unrebuilt RS18 8785 slipped into the consist for good measure. July 3, 1985 at Westminister, PQ. |
Date:
1985-07-03
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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Another hot TOFC arrives in Montreal, PQ with CP C630 4502 and M636 4709 leading a long parade of containers and trailers. July 3, 1985 at Westminister, PQ. |
Date:
1985-07-03
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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Under the high signal mast at Dorval, PQ, an morning eastbound with CP M630's 4554 and 4571 and Conrail GP38 7764 roll towards Montreal on July 4,1985. |
Date:
1985-07-04
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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Late morning light in the summer is not even good in Canada, but the subject is excellent. Here is a westbound at Dorval with M636's 4707 and 4709, C630 4508, and C424 4238 on July 4, 1985. |
Date:
1985-07-04
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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VIA 6925 blasts off from Dorval, PQ on its way into Montreal. July 4, 1985. Hey, isn't that Harry (Mr. Tracktime)? |
Date:
1985-07-04
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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CP RS18 8749 stops to do some local switching at Dorval, PQ on July 4, 1985. Considering the equipment and location, this could have been any time in the past ten years. |
Date:
1985-07-04
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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Broadside shot of CP RS18 8749. Dorval, PQ. |
Date:
1985-07-04
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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Transfer caboose CP 437245 is tugged along by CP 8749. Check out the wood siding on this car; definitely an old timer. |
Date:
1985-07-04
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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VIA FPA4 6789 arrives with a 2 car eastbound at Dorval, PQ. |
Date:
1985-07-04
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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It's not just the Big Alco's of the CP and the CN that were a draw in 1985. There were the FPA4's, which held down some of the fastest runs on the VIA system. With 90MPH limits between Montreal and Toronto, small trains like this one were held down by FPA4's, while longer trains were handled by one or two LRC's. Such is this meet between FPA4 6789 and LRC 6930 at Dorval, PQ, July 4, 1985. |
Date:
1985-07-04
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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VIA 6930 sits at Dorval, PQ. |
Date:
1985-07-04
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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VIA 6930 shows her lengthy flanks at Dorval, PQ. |
Date:
1985-07-04
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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Blast Off! An amazing sound comes out of a FPA4 starting out of a station. VIA 6789 at Dorval, PQ. |
Date:
1985-07-04
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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More smoke! VIA 6789 at Dorval, PQ. |
Date:
1985-07-04
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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VIA FPA4 6769 makes a passenger stop at Belleville, ON on July 4, 1985. Even with her failing paint, the heart of 6769 is still strong. |
Date:
1985-07-04
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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VIA LRC's 6925 and 6912 roar through Belleville, ON with a late afternoon westbound passenger train from Montreal to Toronto. |
Date:
1985-07-04
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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VIA LRC's 6925 and 6912 roar through Belleville, ON with a late afternoon westbound passenger train from Montreal to Toronto. |
Date:
1985-07-04
Added:
2007-08-08 |
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In the Toronto suburb of Eglinton, ON, GO Transit F40PH 510 handles a 4 car train eastbound. |
Date:
1985-07-05
Added:
2007-08-09 |
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LRC class unit 6901 roars westbound through Eglinton, ON. |
Date:
1985-07-05
Added:
2007-08-09 |
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VIA FPA4 6784 teams up with FP9 6531 on a long passenger train ready to leave Toronto, ON. |
Date:
1985-07-05
Added:
2007-08-09 |
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Big CN MLW S13 8521 wrestles with a large LRC consist at Sarina in downtown Toronto under the shadow of CN Tower. |
Date:
1985-07-05
Added:
2007-08-09 |
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Under the shadow of CN Tower, five VIA RDC's rumble out of downtown Toronto with an afternoon regional train. RDC's 6211, 6129, 6114, 6105, and 6208 make up this consist. |
Date:
1985-07-05
Added:
2007-08-09 |
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CP Alco switcher 6509 works in the shadow of downtown Toronto. |
Date:
1985-07-05
Added:
2007-08-09 |
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CP C424 4210 rests between runs at Agincourt Yard, with leased Chessie GP40's in the background. |
Date:
1985-07-05
Added:
2007-08-09 |
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CP SD40-2 5672 waits between assignments on the sanding track at Agincourt Yard with B&O GP40 3702, CP SD40 5508, and CR GP38 7803. |
Date:
1985-07-06
Added:
2007-08-09 |
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Recently delivered CN SD50F 5405 waits with another SD50F at the MacMillan Diesel Shop for one of its first assignments. |
Date:
1985-07-06
Added:
2007-08-09 |
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CN HR616 2109 shows off its "Draper Taper" cowl hood that was popular with the CN and CP for a short period of time. Similar to the full cowl of the EMD F45 twenty years earlier, the Draper was designed to minimize the amount of snow that packed in around the engine, causing it to fail. |
Date:
1985-07-06
Added:
2007-08-09 |
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After missing a few attempts to photograph Big Alco's on the CN, we find this southbound train leaving MacMillan Yard near Toronto with GP40L-2 9510, M630's 2038 and 2035, M424 2560, and RS18 3696. |
Date:
1985-07-06
Added:
2007-08-09 |
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After missing a few attempts to photograph Big Alco's on the CN, we find this southbound train leaving MacMillan Yard near Toronto with GP40L-2 9510, M630's 2038 and 2035, M424 2560, and RS18 3696. |
Date:
1985-07-06
Added:
2007-08-09 |
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Unrebuilt CN GP9 4364 shuffles around MacMillan Yard outside Toronto on July 6, 1985. By this time, both CN and CP had active rebuild programs for their early GP fleets, so this spark arrestor equipped, high short hooded critter was becoming an endangered species on the CN. |
Date:
1985-07-06
Added:
2007-08-09 |
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At the west end of MacMillan Yard, one of the assigned hump pusher sets grabs another string of cars to classify. Back in 1985, this was the current state-of-the-art for heavy switchers, rebuilt GP38's 7500 and 201 on the ends with slugs 272 and 267 cut down from GP9's. |
Date:
1985-07-06
Added:
2007-08-09 |
